For the Death of Me
by Egyptian Rose
Summary: Rewritten. If you were to tell me this would be the day I would die I might have believed you. If you were to tell me that in order to begin again I would have to put my trust in Seto Kaiba, I would have punched you in the face.
1. Prologue

Warnings: Yaoi, Violence, language, character death

Summary: If you were to tell me this would be the day I would die I might have believed you. If you were to tell me that in order to begin again I would have to put my trust in Seto Kaiba, I would have punched you in the face.

Rewritten first chappy, yeah I was caught being lazy and wanted to put this baby out before it was ready. Anyway here is the Chapter written better. (thanks for calling me out on it, Astreich689, I won't let you down.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

**Jounouchi, Katsuya**

I headed out of my class, why did I even decide to go to school? I guess it had something to do with my father; I was perfectly fine skipping school for a week while my father was in rehab for what seemed to be the fiftieth time. Lucky me he decided to cut out of rehab early. School was really my only escape from the impending doom my father brought.

My escape plan was effectively ruined by a certain CEO. I could feel my nails digging into my palms just thinking about that rich bastard. I bet he never had a hard day in his life. Anyway, it started when I walked into class this morning. My friends were happy to see me after two days of being absent so I figured if nothing else I could catch up with them.

I sat down at my desk which was seated behind my best friend, Yugi's desk and we shared stories about the past two days he had spent in the game shop his grandfather owned. As we were talking that jerk, CEO, Seto Kaiba came over and began his usual rant about how I was nothing but a poor dog… and other things along those lines. As soon as I could I excused myself to go to the bathroom.

I walked through the halls leisurely with no intention of returning to class when I heard a soft whisper down the hall. I followed the sounds and paused around a corner from where a commotion was going on. I peeked around the corner and spotted a kid, Yoshi, he had always been a quiet kid and didn't have many friends, I noticed him before but I never went over to talk to him. Two other guys were cornering him as he turned to dig in his locker.

I noticed the two others before but they were in the beautification squad with Honda. Honda had said something about them before but I couldn't remember what it was. I did know that those two were after a fight. I knew this because I have been in my share of fights and I was in a gang before I met my friends.

I decided to take a step out to confront them. "Hey, didn't anyone eva tell you that two against one isn't fair?" the two guys were looking at me now.

"Jounouchi." One of the guys said. "come to join the fight?"

"Yeah." I said little did he know I was joining on the other side of the fight. I held out my fist and smirked; it had been a long time since I felt the feel of someone's face against my fist and I was still angry over my encounter with that rich bastard. This would be fun.

"I told you," came the shaky voice of Yoshi, we all turned to look at him and took steps back in unison, "if you kept picking on me you'd be sorry." In his shaking hands was a gun. The next thing I heard were three booming sounds as he fired.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

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><p><strong>Seto Kaiba<strong>

I looked up from my book after hearing three booming sounds. I looked around and everyone else was just as startled as I was, of course I wasn't showing it on the outside.

"Did you hear that?" someone asked.

"It sounded like a gun."

"No way. It must have been from the chem. Lab."

That had to be it; someone must have blown something up in the chem. Lab. So I sat in my seat and watched the door as the sound of class beginning chimed in and the Sensei had yet to join us. It was unlike our Sensei to be late and I was anxious to see Jounouchi get an earful for skipping class. Okay, so it was my fault he left but in my defense he wasn't supposed to be here in the first place.

It was the third day of the week and the first week of the opening of Kaiba Land USA so naturally I was swamped with calls from the office. Uncharacteristically, I left my phone at home and decided to go to school for a break. I had thought the incessant dog wouldn't be here to ruin my day; I had overheard his friends talking about how he was going to skip school for the week.

I walked into my class room and clenched my school bag tightly in my hand at the sight of Jounouchi Katsuya. He was the last person I needed to see today. I could feel my head nursing a new migraine; I had to put an end to it. I walked over to Jounouchi and began to insult him in the usual ways. He gave in a bit too easily and left the room without one of his weak comebacks.

His friends gave me their usual looks of disappointment but I didn't care.

I was ripped from my memory of the past few moments by the sounds of sirens in the distance. The other students were out of their seats in an instant, it was unusual for that many sirens to cut through the air and I had to admit that I, too, was intrigued. Of course I refrained from looking out the window like a complete moron.

The sirens and wails of cop cars, ambulances and fire trucks was getting louder and that was when one of Jounouchi's stupid friends said, "they are coming to the school." I sat up, maybe those sounds were gunfire? I had heard it enough time to know but I just couldn't believe that a gun would find its place in this school.

"Students," Came the loud voice of the headmaster. "You are all being advised to stay in your class rooms. This is a lockdown; anyone caught outside their rooms will be expelled." Now I was sure it was gunfire. We all were, I suspect.

After a few hours of waiting our Sensei finally walked into our room. The ambulances and fire trucks had left some time ago but there was no let up in the lockdown. "Class please take your seats." She said calmly. Normally she would yell at us for being out of our seats. I looked at her closely and studied her face; her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was disheveled as if she had run a hand through it in a moment of stress. I knew those all too well.

"I have some distressing news." She said as the rest of my class sat back down.

"Earlier today there was a shooting." She said. Well that explained the lock down. "Four students were involved…" she paused. What was she waiting for? "Three of them were shot." She looked at Jounouchi's seat.

Jounouchi was involved? Well it was only a matter of time. That gangbanger was bound to do this one day. I wasn't surprised in the least. "Jounouchi was among them." She said and leaned onto her desk for support. "Two of the students are in critical condition and the last… Jounouchi… he was pronounced dead at the scene." She finally said.

What? I held back my emotions as I always did but the first thought that ran through my mind was that it was my fault. He would have stayed in the class room had I not have teased him. Then again it was the same as it always was… It was then that I noticed Yugi and his friends were panicking and crying. I wasn't listening to anything they were saying, it was all a blur. I was stuck in my own head. Trying to convince myself that I wasn't the reason Jounouchi wasn't around anymore.


	2. 1 Jounouchi

Thanks to my beta, Amanda.

***1* Jounouchi *1***

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><p>BEEP BEEP BEEP!<p>

I shot out of bed at the horrible sound of my alarm clock. Whoever invented such a sound ought to be killed. I reached over and yanked the bastard clock from the wall. Ha! Try to live without your lifeline. Lifeline… that made me think of the dream I had. It was so real and so intense. I had always heard that if you died in a dream, you died for real. I tensed and looked down at my chest and felt around for the bullet hole I was certain was there.

I lifted my shirt and let out the breath I'd been holding when I felt nothing but the smooth skin of my chest. I let my shirt fall back down and got out of bed. I was already late for school, so I decided to head out in the clothes I had on.

I walked out of my room and I plugged my nose against the strong smell of smoke, alcohol and vomit caused by my old man. With any luck he would be passed out on the couch and I wouldn't have to deal with him.

"Stupid kid!" he screamed. Oh shit. I followed the sound of his voice and entered the living room, which was aglow with the light from the T.V. I looked over at the couch and watched my father sleep. He was covered in cans of beer and the table was covered in cigarette butts. I held my breath and turned off the T.V.

"Little bastard!" he said. I looked over and watched him shift around. I shut my eyes tightly and waited for him. When nothing happened I opened my eyes and saw that he merely rolled over and passed out again. I sighed and headed out of the door.

As I walked to school I thought about my dream once more. Maybe it was a sign that I should make friends with Yoshi. He wasn't unlike Yugi. Yugi and I had turned out to be the greatest of friends. Because of Yugi, my life got turned around. It was decided; when I got to school I would find Yoshi and let him know he had a friend.

He may not believe me; I had been a bully for much of my life. I had started out as a bully at an early age and then I had joined a gang, so it wasn't hard to see why everyone was afraid of me. I had made a reputation for myself and it was going to take time to fix it.

In the distance I could hear the chime of the clock coming from my school. Fixing my life would have to come later, I was going to be late for school. I ran full force through the streets and decided to take a shortcut. I rounded a familiar corner and grabbed onto a pipe that was sticking from the wall of a building and hoisted myself up over a fence that divided the alleyway. I ran out of the alley and through the back entrance of my school.

As I walked to my classroom, I noticed everyone seemed to be floating all around, there were no signs of teenage drama, no girls gossiping, and no guys talking about girls or parties. No, instead there was an air of danger and sadness.

What was going on with everyone? I decided I would ask Yugi later. I walked into my classroom and everyone was wearing black and sitting quietly at their desks. Shit, I didn't get the memo. I was wearing my favorite shirt and usual uniform pants. I sat down at my desk. It was too late for me to go change and no one was saying anything about it so I figured it would be okay.

I looked over at Seto's desk and smirked to find that it was empty. I've hated him ever since the first day of kindergarten.

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><p><em>My mother worked really hard to get me into the Elite School for Little Thinkers, one of the most expensive kindergartens in the world. She had wanted me to be safe and get an education that no one in her family had ever gotten.<em>

_I didn't care, I was a kid. I went into that school with every intention of making friends; I had never had friends before and my mother told me I could make as many of them as I wanted to in school. I hugged my mother (one of the few times I could remember hugging her) and walked into the room. I smiled at the other kids and noticed a group of them sitting at a table. They were wearing little suits and practicing their writing skills._

_I walked over and said "Hi, I am Katsuya." One of the kids, Seto Kaiba, looked up at me and laughed._

_"It's funny," He said._

_"What is?" I was smiling, hoping to laugh at what he thought I said that was so funny._

_"That you think you can talk to us." I blinked, what was he talking about? "We don't play with people like you."_

_"People like me?"_

_"My father says you grew up on the south side and we aren't allowed to talk to you. He says that people from the south side grow up to be hoodilioms," another kid said. I never learned his name._

_"Not hoodilioms, hoodlums," Seto corrected._

_"What is a hood…what is that?" I asked._

_"Look in the mirror," Seto said and then the other kids started to chant the word over and over._

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><p>Just thinking about that day makes my blood boil. I finally looked away from Seto's empty seat and tapped Yugi on the shoulder. He shivered and turned around. "Why is everyone wearing black?" I asked.<p>

I watched his face carefully and sat back as his eyes began to water and I noticed the tracks running down his cheeks. He had been crying before. "Yug, what's wrong?" He said nothing; he turned away and was suddenly comforted by Anzu and Honda. Was Yugi mad at me or something? "Hey, yug… don't cry…" I paused when our Sensei entered the room.

"Is everyone ready?" she asked. What the heck was going on? She walked over to my desk and looked at me; in fact, now that I noticed, everyone was looking at me. "Let's go."

Everyone stood and walked to the door, forming a line. I shrugged and joined them. I shouldn't have left school early yesterday, apparently something major was happening today and I was totally unprepared. I followed my class through the halls of our school and out the front doors to the courtyard at the entrance.

We circled around a bench that I had never seen before. "What's with the bench?" No answer.

I looked up as the rest of the students at our school circled around us and then our Sensei broke formation and walked up to the bench and turned around to talk to us.

"We are all gathered here to honor one of our school's students, whose life was taken suddenly. This is certainly a tragic event, but we will not let this bring us down. We will be stronger than ever and we will let the world know that even though we will never forget, we will never let this tragedy define us." She continued to say things along those lines. I guess it was a good thing I had skipped school yesterday.

"Who are we honoring?" I asked Yugi but he was still ignoring me.

"I have something I want to say," Yugi said suddenly. His eyes were dry again, but I could tell he was ready to cry at any moment. Yugi walked up to the bench looked out at everyone. "He was my best friend… everyday without him will be like torture of the worst kind. We may have started off on the wrong foot…" Yugi paused to laugh but it was an ironic laugh. "In fact, the first time he told me we were friends, he lost his shoe."

What? Wait a minute… That's when I told Yugi I was his friend.

"I know he will be watching over us and I know we will always be incomplete without him."

"He was my best friend too." This time Honda spoke. "We got into loads of trouble together before we met Yugi; the four of us won't be the same without him."

"Jounouchi," Anzu spoke. I looked at her. She burst into tears and Yugi and Honda wrapped their arms around her.

"Guys…" I said. "Please tell me what's going on." Even though, by now I was sure I knew what was going on, I just didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to admit that this memorial was for me.


	3. 2 Seto

***2* Seto *2***

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><p>My limo pulled up just outside the memorial for Jounouchi and I just sat there, watching as the other students walked up and said a few words in front of a bench. I wasn't particularly in the mood to even come into school today. I sighed and thought back on this morning when my brother convinced me that I should come, even if Jounouchi and I had never been friends.<p>

My brother, Mokuba, had the uncanny ability to make me do things I didn't want to do. It was weird that our roles would reverse now and then. When we were smaller, I had to act as his mother, father and older brother. I did all I could to give Mokuba the life he deserved. I made sure he could make the right decisions; sometimes he would do the same for me, like today.

I stepped out of my warm limo and stood before the school gates like an idiot. Everyone here knew how I felt about that mutt. Everyone knew how he felt about me. To them, me being here was probably an insult. I took an annoyed breath and walked into the courtyard. I was thinking of trying to stay off to the side, so no one would see me. Thing is, when you are the CEO of a multibillion dollar company, that's not easy to do.

I decided I was being childish and walked straight through the middle of the courtyard. I could feel everyone's eyes on my back as I walked passed them. I had felt those stares before, only this time they were suffocating. I gripped my school bag tightly and continued to walk. I found my class, stood at the end of the crowd and watched the rest of the memorial.

I felt so out of place, and I hadn't felt that way in a long time. I wasn't wanted there. I knew they all thought it was my fault; I could practically hear their thoughts.

_Why is he here?_

_What makes him think he is welcome?_

_He made Jounouchi leave the classroom._

_He probably hired someone to shoot him._

I let out a low growl and forced my body still. I couldn't afford to let these people, people I didn't even care about, get to me. So I stood there ridged, like ice, which is how I needed to feel.

"What are you doing here?"I heard a familiar voice whisper. I turned to see Hiroto, one of Jounouchi's idiotic friends, staring at me. I looked right at him as if he didn't matter to me, and he didn't.

"You don't even have to come to school, why are you here today? This is about him, not you. You should leave." Ha! To leave now would make me look weak. I was staying.

"Hiroto, leave Kaiba alone." It was Yugi this time. Every once in a while he would stand up for me when I needed it, though I'd never admit it out loud. He was very stupid in that regard, I wouldn't give him the time of day even if he asked for it. I would never stand up for him. I didn't even consider us friends. "Even though he and Jounouchi were never close, he has a right to be here. The shooter could have gotten anyone of us," he said.

"Besides," he continued, and then looked at me with those big, purple puppy-dog eyes of his. Those were a weapon, let me tell you. "I am sure Kaiba will miss Jounouchi most of all."

What? "Excuse me?" I said and anger surged through me. "I'd never miss him. Jounouchi ended up exactly where we all knew he eventually would. He was a no-good gangbanger and you are lucky he's gone because now he can't drag you down with him." As soon as the words left my mouth I felt like tossing myself off of my building.

"You don't mean that!" Yugi said, and then burst into tears. Shit. That was a weapon too.

"I can't believe you just said that," Mazaki said, as she wrapped her arms around Yugi, "We all knew you were an ass, but I never thought you would say something like that. This," she gestured to the courtyard and everyone in it, "should never happen to anyone."

"See, Kaiba," Hiroto said, "no one wants you here, and you don't want to be here, so you should just leave."

"I am not leaving," I said, "I am going to go to class and then I am going to go home. Then tomorrow I am going to do the same thing. I am not going to let this matter affect my life. I'm going to move on, and so should all of you," I said. Apparently this statement was worse than the one I had made earlier, because that's when Hiroto grabbed my tie and yanked me closer; he brought a fist up to hit me. I let my gaze fall downward; I wanted him to hit me. I wanted to feel something, something other than regret and this growing numbness.

"Hiroto, Honda!" our Sensei yelled, and Hiroto let me go with a shove. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I am sorry, Sensei, but Kaiba doesn't have the right to be here," Hiroto said. Sensei gave him the coldest look I had ever seen her give anyone; I didn't even know someone could give that look better than I could.

"Yes, he does. I know we are all hurting right now, but that doesn't mean we can go and act like barbarians," she said, "I think it's time we went inside." Best idea ever.

I watched as everyone filed into the school. I certainly had no desire to join them, but after all of this fuss about my not being needed, I decided I would go just to piss off Hiroto.

Back in class I sat down at my desk as Sensei tried to teach, but no one was really paying any attention to her. The shooting was a week ago and the culprit was still a mystery. I don't understand how he could have gotten away. After the shots were fired wouldn't someone have gone out to see? I would have, had the shooting not taken place halfway across the campus.

The other two victims weren't much help, they had been in critical condition for days and when they finally came to they couldn't remember a thing. Morons. If I had been shot and lived through it, I would remember every little detail so that I could get my revenge. The shooter would wish he'd have killed me because I would do everything in my power to make him suffer.

I could feel Hiroto staring me down again, and it was pissing me off. I looked over at him and was startled to see Jounouchi sitting at his desk. What? I looked away, then back again.

There he was.

At his desk.

Was I seeing this right? I blinked. Perhaps the guilt is too much for me to bear, so now my mind is projecting Jounouchi. I didn't know I cared that much. I turned back to my desk and tried to ignore the vision I was seeing. Fuck, if I didn't need a therapist before, I needed one now.

I told myself that for the remainder of the day I would focus on my class work and not look towards Jounouchi's side of the room. I don't know what I'll do if I look over and he's still there. Time was ticking away, but all I could think about was what I had seen.

This is ridiculous. Jounouchi is dead; I know he's dead. I was letting Hiroto get the better of me. I stood up and walked out of the room, despite Sensei's objection to it. I needed air.

Making my way to the courtyard I glanced over at the bench that was dedicated to Jounouchi's memory. It was his fault, he shouldn't have left classroom. We would always fight and never had he once left the room. I glared. I hated him even more now. "You bastard," I said, "even in death you manage to torment me."

"Yeah, well this hasn't exactly been a field day for me either." I wheeled around to see Jounouchi standing there. Now my mind is projecting his voice. "Only good thing is that I can call you names and you have to take it 'cause you can't hear me." Wow, I remembered his accent so well it sounded as if he was really there. "Idiot," He continued, and then started running around me calling me names, "Ooo, there's the vein. It's so scary. We are all scared of the great Seto Kaiba." He was mocking me now. I let out a breath I just realized I was holding.

"Shut the fuck up!" I yelled, and he stopped.

"Y-You can hear me?" he asked.

"Of course I can hear you, you're a figment of my imagination. I guess I'm a masochist or something."

"Wha?..."

"I have no time for this." I didn't. "I must have eaten something bad." Thing is, I didn't eat anything all day. This wasn't happening. I pulled out my phone and called my limo. I ignored Jounouchi as best I could until the limo came and I got in quickly.

"Where to, Mr. Kaiba?" Roland asked.

"The hospital." I needed a CAT scan, or at the very least drugs to make my mind stop. The shooting wasn't my fault, and I'm not going to let myself think it was.


	4. 3 Jounouchi

*3* Jounouchi *3*

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><p>I stood in the courtyard and watched as Seto hurried into his limo. I said he could see me. If that was true then maybe I had a way to figure out what was going on. I made a fist and let out a curse toward the sky. "You think this is funny?" I asked god not that I believe or anything… still. I wasn't going to ask Kaiba for help, no way. There had to be someone else with the ability to see me.<p>

As I was about to start my search the bell sounded for lunch. Aww man. I love lunch. My stomach growled but I wasn't hungry. This was the worst thing ever. I sighed and sat down on the bench dedicated to me. I ran my fingers over my name then over my birthday and death day. Yes I knew I was dead and that my dream wasn't a dream. What I didn't know was why I was stuck in the living world. I was a ghost.

I had seen enough movies to know that if I was a ghost then I had unfinished business. Thing is I don't know what is unfinished. Maybe I should have stood up to my father or confronted my mother about why she left me. If that was true there would be no way for me to talk to them now anyway.

"Hey Jouno." I heard my name and watched as Yugi came to sit next to me on the bench. "I brought your favorite. Well one of your favorites." He said and dug through his lunch box and pulled out a Rice Crispy treat. My mouth watered. Ever since we had gone to America on one of our "trips" to save the world I had been addicted to those things. "It's probably silly for me to bring you a snack. You aren't even around anymore."

"I'm right here, Yugi." I said and reached for his hand but my hand just went right through his. "I hate this!" I screamed

"But all the same I am going to have lunch with you like always." He said and began to eat his lunch and tell me about his day. "And I'm sorry about what Kaiba said this morning. I am sure he is hurt too. I bet he thinks this is his fault."

"Pft, he wishes." I said.

"I just wish I knew who did this to you." He said. "Then at least the school could calm down and then you could have justice."

"It was Yoshi. How do you not know that? I mean there were four of us. If no one else saw then how did they know there were four of us?"

"Whoever it was must have slipped back into a classroom or into a crowd to blend in. Once the other two regain their memory I am sure they will tell the police."

"What!" I was really mad now. The guys who actually deserved it (well not deserved it but you know) get to live and I, the one who tried to help Yoshi, get to die! How was that right? Those bastards are lucky I'm dead.

"Anyway, Jouno," he paused then blushed. "Remember how I've been trying to get Anzu to notice me as more than a friend?"

"Yeah." Even though he couldn't hear me, we really were having a normal conversation. It felt nice.

"Well she finally asked me out. She said she's always had a thing for me. You were right; I should have told her how I felt in the beginning."

"Way to go Yug'." I smiled. At least Yugi wouldn't be alone and he could try to move on. Eventually, I knew, he would have to stop "having lunch with me" and that's what I wanted. It was breaking my heart to watch him mourn for me.

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><p>After lunch I decided to start my search for someone else who could see me. Now that I knew Yoshi hadn't been caught I knew what my unfinished business was. Problem was I had no idea where to start.<p>

Psychics? Family? I didn't have the guts to find my family, I didn't want to find out that my mom didn't care or that my dad didn't miss me. I didn't want to watch my sister cry over me. I shook those thoughts out of my head when the bell for the elementary school across the street sounded.

That's when it hit me.

Mokuba Kaiba.

Money bags' little brother might be able to see me. Maybe it ran in the family. Going to Mokuba would be a lot easier. I walked out of my school's courtyard and walked across the street to the elementary school. Then I saw him standing outside the gates on his cell phone. I really hope he doesn't turn out like his brother. His eyes went wide.

"Mokuba?" I asked as I walked over to him.

"Jounouchi?" he said and my heart raced, he could see me. "What do you mean you saw him?" he asked. Oh, he was on the phone talking about me. He didn't see me. And if he didn't see me by now then that meant he couldn't. "I think you should take a few days off." He said. "Because if you are seeing things then you are stressed out about the shooting. I don't care." He paused. "No one will think you are weak." He sighed and hung up.

"Your brother is a jerk." Someone behind me said.

"He's right." I said.

"No he's not. He's just stressed from work. None of you know what he's really like." Mokuba said.

"I've never seen it."

"When have you been over long enough to see it?"

"Point." The kid said. "But doesn't he care that he's hurting you?"

"He'd never hurt me on purpose." Mokuba said.

"Maybe not but he hurts you on accident an awful lot." The kid said. "Oh, there's my mom. See you tomorrow, Mokuba." Then the kid ran off to his mother leaving Mokuba alone. Well not alone, I was there.

"Hey, Mokuba. It's okay. Don't listen to that kid. I have seen the relationship you have with Kaiba. I don't understand it but I know he loves you." I said and started walking with him toward the Kaiba mansion.

When we got there I froze. I had never gone inside and never expected to. I hated Kaiba but going in his house seemed like an invasion of his privacy. I stayed outside while Mokuba went in. I just couldn't bring myself to go where I wasn't welcomed. Damn my new morals. But I guess it did give me an excuse to leave. I was still on a mission to find someone else who could see me.

I got up and started to head for the street when I noticed a limo pull into the drive. Shit. I was hoping to avoid him. I wonder if I can turn invisible. I am a ghost. Then again why would I need that ability if no one was supposed to see me anyway? I jumped into a bush watched Kaiba get out of his limo.

"I don't have time for this, Roland." Seto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"But master Kaiba, I don't understand why you don't take a day or two off."

"I can't afford that. Let this go." He said but he wasn't as scary as I thought he would be. I was sure that when an employee talked back to Kaiba was fired on the spot.

"Yes, sir." Roland said. It must suck to work for Kaiba.

"Look, after I am finished with Kaiba Land U.S.A. I can take a break."

"Yeah right." I said and covered my mouth, and looked out to see if he had heard me. He wasn't looking.

"If you say so, Sir." I watched them go into the mansion and crawled out of the bush when the door closed. I dusted myself off and hurried out of his yard and down the street. I was reduced to hiding from Kaiba and I hated it. I hated that he was the only one who could see me. Fuck my life…. Or should I say, fuck my death.

* * *

><p>I walked through the streets of domino cursing my death until I came up to my…father's apartment. Even though I was dead the thought of home was comforting. I mean my father wasn't really there for me but once I got to my room and locked the door everything was alright again. I hurried home and slipped through the door.<p>

I looked around; the house was spotless, clean. It hadn't been clean since mom had lived here. I glanced around for my dad. Maybe he moved out? Nah. There was no way he'd let this cheap place go.

"I'll do better." I heard my father say as I reached the center of the house. He seemed to be in the middle of an important conversation. He was in the hall just outside my old room on his knees with his head against my mother's stomach.

I had to double take to make sure I was seeing her right but it was in fact my mom. I hadn't seen her in years, she never even called and now she was here. I didn't know whether to I was happy to see her or angry that she would visit now that I was gone.

"I don't know…" she said and looked into my room sadly.

"Please." My father begged. Pft, the only time I ever heard him beg was when we were at the bar and he wanted another beer. "I swear, the drinking is over, I enrolled in AA. Please, I don't want to be alone. Take me back."

Selfish bastard. I thought

My mom placed her hands on my father's head and suddenly I felt like I was intruding. She said yes and slid to her knees and hugged my father. Fuck. Oh sure, get back together now that I am gone.

"You guys suck!" I yelled and stomped past them and went into my room. Thankfully it was still the same. I hopped onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Pack a bag and we can head back in time for dinner." My mom said softly. I groaned and rolled over. "We'll have people clear out the rooms and let this place go." I sat up quickly waiting for them to mention me or my things. Didn't parents usually dedicate a room to their dead kids? I'm not asking for a shrine but maybe they could come in here and see if they want to keep something to remember me by.

"Good idea. I can't be here anymore." My father said. "Being here wasn't a good idea. I turned my son into a bully and he paid the price for it. I won't make the same mistake with our new son."

"WHAT?" I shot out of bed and trumped over to them and glared. That's why my father was on his knees earlier.

"I only came here to tell you about the baby I didn't mean for you to change your life around." She said.

Oh god, I'm gonna be sick. I was being replaced. Easily replaced.

"I know but this is my chance to change. That night… it was supposed to be fun. One last reminder of how good we were together but now… now it's more than that and I am ready to take this chance."

Oh sure. Until you pick up another beer and beat him too. Fuck this. It was all so suffocating; if that was possible. I took one last look at my room and headed for the door. I would find a way back and then confront my parents. I would show them. I would show everyone that I wasn't the fuck-up they thought I was. And I would start with the one person who could see me. This would be the first test I was ever ready to take.


	5. 4 Seto

*4* Seto *4*

* * *

><p>The doctor was no help, he said I was fine, I most certainly was not fine. I glared at the idea that the Doctor got paid for his half-assed work and headed up to my home office. I passed Mokuba on the way but I didn't look at him. I knew he was worried about me but I couldn't tell him what happened. I put my briefcase down and pulled out my chair before sitting down. I turned on my computer and as I waited for it to boot up I placed my head in my hands.<p>

"Nii-sama?" I looked up to see that Mokuba had walked in. "Roland told me you went to the hospital. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mokuba." Damn that Roland. I sighed, "I'm just stressed over this Kaiba Land USA thing."

"That's unusual for you." He said. Couldn't he see that I didn't want to share my problem with him? If he kept going like this I would spill the beans.

"It's another culture over there, I need to be careful." I said which was true. Even Walt Disney had problems when he first opened Euro Disney.

"Okay, but that's not something people go to the hospital for." He said as he made his way over to my desk. He placed his small hand on my forehead and pulled back quickly. I looked at him with alarm. "You're hot." He said. I was? I blinked twice.

"That's it!" Of course! I gave him one of my rare smiles. "I have a fever, it's been making me see and hear things." I said.

"Oh. Then you shouldn't be in the office working. You should be in bed, resting." Mokuba said. I knew I felt fine and I knew I could work but if going to bed and missing a day of work would get him to stop worrying, well, it was a small price to pay.

"Alright." I said.

"Alright? Really?" Mokuba smiled. "Great. I'll make you some tea and bring it to you in bed." He said and hurried out to the kitchen.

"Earl Grey!" I shouted and logged into my computer, I had a few moments before Mokuba would return. I decided to check my email and of course I was swamped with complaints from America. I could feel a headache forming once again and I beginning to think this USA thing was a waste of time. I sighed and began typing away response after response.

Then I paused at an e-mail address I had never seen before and somehow I knew who it was. Begrudgingly I opened it up.

_-What you said about Jounouchi really hurt but I know it's a defense mechanism. I know you aren't as cold hearted as everyone makes you out to be, as you make yourself out to be. I wanted to say, for what it's worth that I don't think it was your fault. You probably think it was but I know you more than you think. Also I forgive you for those words._

_I guess that's all. You don't have to write back or anything. Yugi-_

I looked away then back again. Yugi. I stood up, how dare he try and see through me like this. Fuck. I deleted the email and shut down my computer. Jounouchi is gone and I am over it. I don't need Yugi's sympathy or his forgiveness.I left the office just in time to see Mokuba walk up the stairs with my tea.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Mokuba asked giving me the best pout he could muster. It broke my heart a little. My greatest weakness was my little brother. Several people knew about it too and kidnapped him to try and get at me. I'd gladly give up my company to save his life. But not before trying to save him myself.

"I wanted to check my email real quick." I said.

"That's never real quick" he was right, on average I received about two hundred emails a day.

"This time it was." I said and headed toward my bedroom, taking the tea cup from Mokuba. I sipped at it and the warmth washed over me. I felt relaxed. I sat down on my bed and watched Mokuba leave. He had that look of worry in his eyes and I hated it. There wasn't anything I could do to change the way he saw me right now. In a few days it would pass. I took another sip of tea and let out a small sound of satisfaction. It was the perfect blend of tea, water and sugar.

I hadn't felt warm in days. Perhaps the world got a little colder now that Jounouchi was gone. Not that I missed him or anything. Though he was a thug and a major idiot, he did have this innocence about him. I suppose that's what started this whole thing. To see him interact with his friends was almost enough to make one jealous, almost.

It was then that I noticed how tightly I'd been gripping my cup; my fingers were nearly white from the pressure. I sighed and put the cup down. If there wasn't anything physically wrong with me then it had to be mental. I had often read stories of geniuses who turned insane after a while, could that be me? I certainly didn't feel insane. And wasn't the questioning of my sanity enough proof I am, in fact, sane?

The room began to spin and I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to sleep. It was a long day and it wasn't as if Mokuba will let me get any work done. Yes. I leaned back into my pillow and closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>The school bell rang again, it was another Monday and I had decided to go to school. People often wondered why I went to school. If I were rich and set for life why would I need to? It was simple. I wanted to set a good example for my brother. I wasn't naive enough to think Kaiba Corp. would be around forever. Not that I wanted it to end nor would I let it anytime soon. I needed Mokuba to have something to fall back on. Plus, I don't really think the business world is something he wants for himself.<em>

_There was another reason I went to school. A reason I had never shared with anyone. A reason I wouldn't admit to myself even now. I never let my mind wonder to the weak feeling of loneliness. Everyone thought I was an emotionless robot; well that's what I wanted them to think. _

_At the orphanage I was seen as weak. I had just lost my parents but that wasn't enough for the other kids. They saw fit to tease and harass my brother and I. One day I caught Mokuba in the middle of the road waiting for traffic to start. I pulled him from the street at the last moment. After that I decided I would get us out of that place. I had to start by showing the other kids that the Kaiba brothers were a force to be reckoned with. Shortly after I made sure we were adopted. _

_The bell to the school started to chime again. I hurried into the courtyard and was suddenly shoved. I stumbled back a bit and glanced around, ready to give it to the one who had pushed me, but there was no one there. I shrugged it off and started for the school's entrance only to be pushed back again._

"_You don't belong here!"I turned and noticed that my schoolmates were surrounding me. I closed my eyes for a second to regain my thoughts. What is going on?_

"_Murderer." I heard, "Murderer!" there it was again. It was being chanted through the air. Voices were spinning around me and when I opened my eyes again I was in the center of the courtyard encircled by my schoolmates. "It's Kaiba, the murderer." One said, I tried to see who it was but when I looked up to see his or her face there wasn't one to see; Just blank skin and dark eyes and a slit for a mouth. All of the students looked this way. "Jounouchi is gone because you…"_

"_That's not true! I never told him to leave." I yelled but nothing came out, I had no voice. _

"_Murderer. He can't even defend himself." Another blank student said. "I say we give him what he deserves." The student said. _

_I pushed past them and the world began to swirl again. I closed my eyes once more and when I opened them I was standing above Jounouchi. He was sitting, backed against a wall in our school hallway. He looked up at me with fear in his honey colored eyes. It was then that I noticed a familiar weight in my hand. I was holding my silver gun. I was pointing at Jounouchi. I tried to put my hand down. But it wouldn't listen. I didn't want to do this._

"_You murderer." It was Jounouchi, his voice echoing clearly in my head. "You kill me and that's what you'll be." He said. I felt my trigger finger twitch and I knew it was coming. _

"_Run! You moron!" I screamed at him, again, no voice came from my mouth. "You are too strong to be gunned down in the halls of a school!" I screamed again, nothing._

"_You bastard. You murderer!" he screamed and I felt my hand squeeze, I felt the gun go off in my head and tried to turn away but could not. I was forced to watch as the bullet entered Jounouchi's chest. He let out a cry as I shot him two more times. _

"_I didn't do it! It wasn't me!" I felt myself scream again and this time I could hear my voice only it was softer than I had intended it to be._

* * *

><p>"I didn't do it." I said again and opened my eyes to find that I was back in my room. It had all been a nightmare. I hadn't had a nightmare in years. Damn that dog. It was just like him to torment me even when he was gone. I stayed in bed for a while, waiting for my breath to catch up. I cringed as I felt the sheets sticking to my body. I yanked the covers off and headed for the bathroom. "This is not happening." I mumbled as I turned on the water of my shower.<p>

I peeled off my clothes as I waited for the water to heat up. I needed something to shake off the feeling of shame I had gotten from my nightmare. It was so vivid. I could even feel little drops of dream Jounouchi's blood as they splashed back onto me. I looked down at my heads to make sure there was no blood. None. I knew it. Steam began to fill the bathroom and I got into the water. Hmm. It felt good. I stood there, under the water for a while, unmoving, until I felt a cold draft.


	6. 5 Jounouchi

*5* Jounouchi *5*

I looked up and glared at the wall trying to figure out what had just happened. One minute I was leaning comfortably against a wall and the next my form slipped right through the wall and I was falling. I'd have to work on how to control the going through things thing. I sighed, even death is work.

A puff of steam drifted past my eyes and that was when I noticed just where I had fallen. The bathroom and someone was showering. Crap. I stood up and glanced over at the shower quickly out of curiosity, not that I could control it. The steam was so thick that it was hard to make out who it was.

"Stupid mutt. Now I'm jumping at every little draft."

I held my breath. It was Kaiba in the shower. I would have made fun of the fact that he was talking to himself but if he caught me in here he'd kill me. Not that it was possible but then he wouldn't help me for sure. I looked back at him when I heard him move. My mouth dropped open and I moved a little closer.

He ran his hand through his hair and threw his head back and let out a moan as the hot water ran down his glistening body. My eyes focused on a drop of water that pearled up on his muscular shoulder before it rolled down over his chest. I bit my bottom lip and swallowed against the lump in my throat. I watched the drop linger on his nipple before falling down and blending in with the rest of the water. I blinked then and tried to look away but then he turned around and placed his hand on the wall and let the water hit his face. I looked down slightly, not that a meant to but… his ass was so hard and perfect that it would be a shame to waste the view.

I took a step back horrified at my thoughts. I should not be thinking of Kaiba like this. I looked at my hand as if it had the answers. I had always known I was different in that department but looking at Kaiba, a man who was my mortal enemy was just wrong.

"You had better have a good reason for being here, Jounouchi." Jounouchi? He used my name, Uh-Oh, he was serious. I looked up to meet his eyes. Apparently the water had stopped running a bit ago and he had caught me. Then again it depended on how long he knew I was there.

"Eh… I was just looking for… then I fell through the wall…" I shuddered. What the hell was wrong with me, how could I let Kaiba make me feel all jittery?

"You have two seconds to get the fuck out of my bathroom." His nostrils flared and the vein appeared on his forehead." I turned quickly to leave and stepped to the door and continued until I crashed into it. I was Solid again. I cursed under my breath and held my head before grabbing the doorknob and making my way out.

I ended up in Kaiba's bedroom so I found a chair and decided to wait for Kaiba to come out, I did have all day after all. I sighed and looked around. Kaiba's room was sterile and pristine. I stared at his bed and blushed again as naughty thoughts filled my head again. Damn his bed for being so perfect, for making me wonder what one-thousand thread count sheets would feel like on my bare skin. "Stop." I said to myself and my eyes fell on a picture frame on his nightstand.

Kaiba and Mokuba were in the picture with their parents. I sat on the edge of the bed and scooped up the frame. He had spent his whole life without them. I guess we weren't so different. My parents may as well have been dead with the way they treated me. And now they have a new baby on the way. I was forgotten.

"Put that down, you're breaking it." I looked down at my hands and noticed that my grip was so tight that the frame was screaming against the tension. I set the frame back down and looked over at Kaiba as he stepped out of his bathroom wrapped in a clean white towel. His abs and chest were still wet from the steam. I found myself staring at him longer than I wanted to again.

"What are you doing here? Why are you here?" Kaiba asked, but it sounded like he was talking to himself. "That damn doctor, I knew he was full of shit."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You are the result of some sickness that I have."

"I am not!" Dammit he still thought I was in his imagination. He should know that I am real seeing as how Kaiba doesn't have imagination. "I am real," I said, and then took a breath before continuing, "and I am here for your help."

"My help?" he laughed. "Get out."

"No!" I yelled. "You are the only one who can see me. You know that if there was anybody else I'd sure as hell ask them first."

"The only one? Are you sure? Have you tried everyone on the planet?"

"No." my eye twitched in irritation.

"Then come back when you have, after all, you have all the time in the world." He smirked. I clenched my jaw shut and resisted the urge to punch him. "Let's get something straight, even if you were alive and asking for my help I'd never help you. I don't like you; I never have and never will. You don't even have the right to breathe the same air as me."

I raised my fist in the air, one way to prove I was real would be to punch him, let him feel me. Then I paused as a plan formed in my head. 'If that's how you feel let's see how you like having a ghost in your house.' I thought and crossed my fingers for a grand exit and was rewarded when I managed to float through a wall and into the hallway.

After a while Kaiba left his room and rolled his eyes at the sight of me. "That's right, I'm not leaving. As you said, I have all the time in the world." He let out a breath of control and strolled passed me without a word. "Ignoring me would work if I wasn't real!" I called after him then followed him through the halls. "How do you not get lost? I guess if you grow up somewhere you can remember."

"Nii-sama." I looked behind me a smiled as Mokuba ran up to Kaiba and hugged him. "How are you feeling tonight?"

"I'm fine, Mokuba." He said, releasing his brother from their embrace.

"Well, I still think you should get some sleep, so after dinner just rest, okay?"

"Alright, I will, Mokuba."

"I wish he could see me too, I could get him to get you to help me."

"Shut up." Kaiba said suddenly and Mokuba coiled away. "Ah… Not you Mokuba… I was just thinking… something that happened earlier."

"Watch it." I warned him and he and Mokuba continued to the dining room to eat.

I watched them at dinner and smirked when Roland set a glass of expensive wine in front of Kaiba. I stood up, Kaiba was doing a good job of ignoring me until I reached over held my hand in the flick position next to the glass. He gave me a warning look and I just smirked as I dumped his glass over, spilling the expensive liquid over his lap. I stepped back when he stood.

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba stood and handed Kaiba a napkin. "What was that?"

"It was nothing." Kaiba said the word 'nothing' as if he were saying I was nothing. Well there was more where that came from. He wiped at his pants and finished a few more bites of his meal. "I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"Good idea. I'll finish eating and help Roland clean up." Mokuba said, he was a good kid. Wonder where he got that from.

I followed Kaiba to his room and sat in a chair as he changed his pants and pulled his shirt off. He threw his shirt onto the chair, trying to ignore me, or it was a habit and this is where he always threw his shirt. "You'll be gone by tomorrow." He said and slipped into this bed.

I glanced down at the shirt in my hands; his scent was wafting out of it. I closed my eyes against the powerful smell. I waited a few moments and suddenly I felt the soft silk of his night shirt against my nose. I opened my eyes and sniffed carefully. He smelled like a thunderstorm, cool rain, powerful thunder, electric. I decided I would let him have a peaceful night and left his room to wait in the call, disregarding the shirt.

After a few moments I fell asleep slumped against the wall outside his door.

"Master Kaiba." I woke to the sound of Roland knocking on Kaiba's door. "The Americans will be here in a couple of hours, I have the car waiting for you." He said and I stood up.

"Thank you, I'll be out soon." Kaiba said.

"Of course." Roland said then turned in my direction and glanced right at me in suspicion. I took a step back and held my breath, could he see me? He then shook it off and walked right past me. I guess not.

What was this thing about Americans? Perhaps this was the perfect time to set plan Haunted House into motion. I followed Roland to the car but not too close I still wasn't sure he couldn't sense me somehow.

When we got to the car I crossed my fingers again, the only way to follow undetected would be to hide in the trunk. I placed my hands on the smooth metal but felt nothing and suddenly my hand went though. Yes. I hopped up and in only to fall all the way through and onto the driveway.

Dammit! I stood up as Kaiba walked out of his house and headed for the car. He couldn't see me yet. I looked at the trunk and gave it a warning glare before jumping in again, this time my face smashed into the metal. Fuck!

I didn't have much time and Roland was standing next to the open door for Kaiba. The driver's side door was open. I guess I had no choice but to ride next to Roland and hope he couldn't sense me. I dove into the front door and settle myself in the passenger's side. The partition would keep Kaiba from seeing me.

Once we reached Kaiba Corp I waited for Roland to get out before diving back out the door and rolling in the asphalt I slipped behind a pillar and waited for Kaiba to be far enough away for me to follow him.

"Please to meet you, Mr. Kaiba." I heard one American say as he reached out his hand to shake Kaiba's. Kaiba took it with a slight hesitation that only the rest of his employees and me could see. Why was he so tense around these guys? I shrugged and followed as Kaiba led handshake guy and two others to a conference room.

I strolled along quietly and stood by the door so that Kaiba saw me when he closed it and said, "This will be fun."


	7. 6 Seto

Listening to:

Death and All His Friends, Coldplay

Cold, Aqualung and Lucy Schwartz

Time Flies, Lykke Li

Tonight you're Perfect, New Politics

* * *

><p>*6* Seto *6*<p>

* * *

><p>I sat across the table from the Americans known as James and Marcus. James's hair was cut military style and his green eyes held the cold glint that could only come from conquering the corporate world. I could tell he had to do some nasty things the climb up to the position he was in presently. Marcus, on the other hand had long hair that swept past his ears. He sat quietly and waited for James to start speaking. Standard lackey.<p>

My eyes then focused on the one thing that could ruin things for me. Jounouchi the "ghost" sat in a chair in the corner of the room. I could see the mischief in his eyes. Nothing was going to ruin this for me, not even my crazy mind.

I thought of rescheduling until I could figure out why my brain was projecting Jounouchi all over the place but that wasn't my style. If anyone thought something was wrong with me then the vultures would attack. No. it was now or never.

Jounouchi smiled, "Those guys don't look like they want to play with you. Nah, they look like they would kill you if they could get away with it." I glared at him. Fuck. How was it that Jounouchi could get these reactions out of me? I quickly relaxed my face before James or his lackey could see.

"Mr. Kaiba, I am sure you know that there are multiple bids for the plot of land you want to use to build Kaiba Land USA. We have looked over the plans and the layout is perfect."

"_Naturally_." I thought but kept a straight face while the man spoke.

"There's only one problem." James continued.

"Oh snap." Jounouchi said. "I thought you never made mistakes."

"Shut up!" I blurted out and James stood up.

"Excuse me?"

"Not you…" shit. Who else was in the room other than Marcus and that wouldn't look good either, number one reason being that he hadn't said a word save for "hello" when he walked into the meeting room. "Forgive me. I don't know where that came from. I didn't mean you. Please continue."

"Asking for forgiveness? Whoa, this must be important. Then again I've never been in here watching you business it up before. Maybe this is what you did to get to be CEO; A lot of begging and apologizing."

"The problem is with the fact that your company is based out of Japan. With all that's been happening in America most people are all about American made and American run businesses."

"I don't see the problem. People come from America to spend the day at Kaiba Land. Duel Monsters has never been bigger." I said. This was a bad excuse; he was trying to discourage me. "_Nice try James_." I thought, "_But this is Seto Kaiba you are dealing with._"

"While that is true, I just don't think that the amount of money you put down on this place is enough to cover what we will lose if we go with you instead of a local company."

"You want more money?" I asked. Bastards. I was currently the highest bidder.

"This guy is an asshole." Jounouchi said and I had to agree with him. "Build it somewhere else, here. I'll get rid of them for you." He stood and placed his hands on a pitcher of water and began to push it towards the edge of the table. I nearly panicked until I noticed that as he pushed he began to fade and pant. "Damn… why is this so hard?"

I remembered watching something over Mokuba's shoulder one night. Ghosts only had a limited amount of energy and it took a lot to speak and way more to push things. I was glad for it because if Jounouchi was able to push the pitcher over I would have had to kill him again. Suddenly Jounouchi vanished. I took a breath. Finally.

"I won't be bullied gentlemen." I said. "You have my offer and if you decline I will find someone else." I was bluffing but they didn't know that and sure enough they pulled out a contract. "I'll look over this and get back to you. Now if you'll excuse me I have other things to do. Please enjoy your stay in Japan." I said and walked out the door and to the end of the hall with them, where we went our separate ways.

I headed toward my office and I couldn't help but smile. Jounouchi was finally gone and I wasn't crazy.

"Uh, big brother? Why are you making that face, it's creepy." Mokuba said and I turned to him.

"What face? I'm smiling." I said.

"Is that what you want to call it?" he teased.

"Shut up, Mokuba. You aren't happy when I'm feeling bad and you aren't happy when I'm happy. What do you want?"

"Normal you." He said.

"What does that mean?"

"Well I've noticed that you've been really weird since Jonouchi died and I know you didn't get along and I know that it's not just because he's just someone you knew who's gone now, it's deeper than that. Do you miss him?" he asked.

"Hell no." I said but the moment the words left my mouth I felt my heart twitch.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Mokuba said then he walked over and hugged me. His body melted into mine and a let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

It had been so long since anyone had hugged me and we were alone so I basked in it for a moment before taking him by the shoulders and pushing him back. That was when I noticed my shirt was cold and wet from where his face had been. "Mokuba?" he was crying.

"I miss him so much… that day he was supposed to hang out with me at the arcade after school." He said as best he could through his blubbering.

"I'm sorry, Mokuba." Why didn't he tell me he felt this way? I knew they spent time together but I had no idea that they were that close.

"You never liked him so I thought it would be best to keep our friendship a secret."

"You didn't have to do that. Just because I didn't care for him… well that doesn't mean that you had to hide anything from me, you are your own person."

"I see that now, I mean you miss him too." He said and before I could tell him I didn't he reached over and wiped a tear from my cheek.

"This is ridiculous, I don't miss him, one tear doesn't mean anything." I said and turned away. "Like you said when you get used to a person being around and then they are just gone it doesn't matter that you didn't get along its still…its surreal."

"Keep telling yourself that, that's the only reason. I know that you've been seeing him." I looked at him. "Roland told me. He was worried about you so don't get mad at him."

"Well I have an update on that; he disappeared during my meeting with James and Marcus. I haven't seen him since. I think I was just stressed about that meeting and I pictured him to push me into finishing what I started."

"Oh?" Mokuba gave me his trademark smirk. "You needed to picture him in order to do that?"

"Shut up. That's not what I meant."

"Uhuh." He smiled this time and I shook my head. At least he wasn't crying anymore.

"Anyway, I have a contract to read over." He said.

"We got it?"

"Yes." I said. "But I need to be careful with these two." James was up to something and I was glad that Jounouchi was gone because I needed all my brain power to read over the contract.

"Sweet! I know that Kaiba Land will be huge in America. And this means I can take trips there whenever I want."

"I'm glad you feel that way. When you turn eighteen I'm going to let you run that part of the corporation."

"Seriously?" he smiled even bigger this time.

"Yes." I said. "I think you can handle it and I will need some help." I admitted, I was grateful for my brother, the only one I could trust to help me. "I'll be looking over this contract for the rest of the day, why don't you go and see if Yugi and the others will go to the arcade with you. I know for a fact that Yugi needs to get out of the house."

"…are you sure?"

"I don't care." I said. He missed Jounouchi and I wasn't exactly the best person to help him get through that. The nerds were good at that cheering up crap. "Just be back by eight."

"Okay. Thanks!" he hugged me again and bounded down the hall and out of sight. I sighed and glanced down at the contract in my hands. It was going to be a long night but at least it was going to be quiet.


	8. 7 Jounouchi

Listening to:

Walk Away From the Sun, Seether

Bonfire, Third Eye Blind

Casualty of Me, Slaves on Dope

Twilight Soundtrack

* * *

><p><strong>*7* Jounouchi *7*<strong>

* * *

><p>When I woke up I could feel the small spaces and hard wood against my back. I blinked open my eyes and waited for them to focus before I sat up. I looked around and found that I was in the school courtyard and apparently I had been sleeping on my memorial bench. The last thing I could remember was being in Seto's conference room and vengeance was about to be mine. I remembered feeling weak. I remembered watching my hand disappear and then nothing.<p>

I sat back on the bench and glared up at the sky. What a tease. I mean I never finished my unfinished business but I kinda hopped that the gods were ready to accept me. Nothing in my life was easy and it was true for my death as well. I looked out over the courtyard and replayed memories as I saw familiar corners of the school. To the right, leading behind the building was a drainage system. Behind the building, where I couldn't see, I knew there was a classroom. I remember trying to teach Yugi to be a man. I remember so vividly tossing a piece of his puzzle into the drainage system.

He should have hated me for it, not that he knew it was me, but Karma should have taken care of it. That night I learned what true friendship was. I used to think that it was lame but you don't understand a bond like that unless you experience it. I kicked my feet out in front of me and the dirt swirled a bit before dying down.

I felt strong here. I stood and studied my hands, I looked more real here. I glanced at the bench. Could the bench have some sort of well of power stored up for me? I paused. I remembered feeling this strong and real before. Yes. When I ran into Kaiba's shower door. I rubbed my nose remembering the feeling.

Before I had time to analyze things I noticed a certain small Kaiba brother bound onto school grounds. "Hey, Jounouchi." He said to the bench but I didn't get my hopes up, I knew he couldn't see me.

"_Hey, kid."_ I said anyway. I decided to indulge myself in feeling alive for a bit.

"You know if you could see Seto right now you'd be surprised. I've never seen him like this." He said.

"_What are you talking about, he's still a prick. He won't believe in things even when they are right in front of him."_

"He's taking your death harder than when we lost our parents. Even more than when our stepfather started abusing us." He continued. I had no clue about what happened to the Kaibas when they were younger. I always thought they had the good life. I sat down on the bench once more, next to Mokuba.

"I miss you too though. Before I knew what happened I got mad. I was waiting for you at the arcade. I feel so horrible."

"_Ah, kid it's not your fault. Don't worry about that."_ I said. I wanted to let Mokuba know it was okay. I had to somehow. I reached out and with all my concentration and tried to ruffle his hair. A few of his hairs moved but it wasn't enough. I glared and swept my hand over his hair a bit harder. This time his hair moved forward like the wind was blowing through it. Mokuba sat up. There wasn't any wind today.

"You're here, aren't you?" he asked.

"_Yes"_ I said and smiled at him. He looked at me but his eyes passed through me. It was enough though.

"cool." He said.

"_Not the word I would use, more like frustrating." _I said and we sat there in silence until the clock struck that school was letting out for the day. After a few moments my friends wondered out of the building. They were all talking to each other about something I couldn't hear. They spotted Mokuba and ran over. They stood silent in front of my bench to prey for a moment and could feel strength fill me.

"Hey, Mokuba." Yugi said. "What's up?"

"I'm feeling a little down…" he admitted. It was easier for him to be true to his feelings than it was for his brother. Concern filled Yugi's features.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked finally. Anzu already had her arm wrapped around Mokuba's shoulders in a small gesture of worry.

"It's Seto." He said. "Ever since…" he paused but everyone knew and so he continued, "well he hasn't been the same."

"What do you mean?" Honda asked. "He looked okay on the cover of GQ magazine, and on the news talking about his new project."

"No, the business side is fine… it's…" he shook his head and I could tell it was hard for him to find the right words. He knew that none of my friends really cared for Kaiba. They cared but in the way people care for each other in general. He never quite treated them right even after all they had been through. At the same time, I knew that my friends would always give him a chance.

"He's different." Mokuba finished.

"I guess you would know that better than we would." Yugi said. "Maybe we can do something to cheer him up." That was Yug' for ya. I smiled.

"I don't know what would work." Mokuba said.

"We'll think of something." Anzu said. "For now, let's cheer you up." Mokuba Blushed. Did the little guy have a crush on the old Anzu? I smirked and then frowned; I wouldn't be able to tease him about it…

"Well I was actually here to see if you had time to go to the arcade today. I have a feeling that Jounouchi is here with us and I made a promise to him." He said.

"That sounds fun." Yugi said and together we walked to the arcade. The conversation consisted of what everyone did at school and I was happy to listen because I felt alive again. In no time we reached the arcade and went inside.

Eventually everyone drifted off to their own favorite games and Yugi and Mokuba played a zombie killing game. It was better to play with Yugi than against him. I smiled as Mokuba laughed and enjoyed himself. It was great to see him happy again.

I glanced around the room and spotted Honda siting in the seat of a car game looking at the high scores. I walked over and sat in the seat next to him. My name was on the top, but his was beneath mine.

It started after the gangs, when our friendship was still new. I smiled at the memory. We had spent all summer trying to best each other in this racing game. When someone got the high score the other would beat it the next day. Every time since then it had been a tug-a-war for the top space.

Anzu came over and placed her hand on Honda's knee. "I could have beaten his score just now… but I just couldn't let myself do it." he said to her. "If I did that then… I guess that would mean he was really gone."

"Oh, Honda…" she said. She couldn't say much. What was there to say? I stood up and I could feel anger surge through me. I had to get Kaiba to help me somehow. I had to move on because I couldn't stand to see my friend suffering anymore. Because if I couldn't let go then how could I expect them to. I left the arcade and I headed toward Kaiba's mansion.

When I got there the sky was a dark violet and there was only one light on in the house. Seto's room. I watched from the front gate as his silhouette paced past the window. I slipped through the fence and walked through the door.

It was hard to navigate in the dark but I tried to remember the path to Seto's room and when I came to his door I stopped. I had no idea how I would convince him but I wouldn't give up. I placed my hand on the door hoping it would pass through but deep down I knew it wouldn't. Sure enough I could feel the cold wooded object against my fingers.

I reached for the handle then pulled back to knock. I waited for a moment and Seto pulled the door open. Surprise flickered in his eyes but it was only for an instant. "Somehow I knew it was too good to be true." He said and paused, "If you are a ghost then why are you knocking?"

"I don't know." I said. "Every time you are around I can't seem to go through things." I paused… I hadn't noticed it before but now that I thought about it, it was true. "I've never been dead before, how should I know how it works?" I said, a little angrier than I wanted to.

"I see." Was all he said before he pulled back from the doorway in invitation. "It seems that the only way to get rid of you is to help you." He said. I walked into his room and he shut the door behind us.


	9. 8 Seto

***8* Seto *8***

* * *

><p>I don't know what lead me to let him in, you give a stray a few scraps and they move in. Though I let him into my office it took a while for either of us to say anything. I took a breath, ready to speak but of course, the loud mouth had to go first.<p>

"Look, I know you don't want me here," that was an understatement, "and I want to be here even less than you want me here." He continued. I was growing impatient but I let him talk. "The only way I am going to move on is for you to help me. You are the only one who can see me and as much as I wish it were someone else… well it's not. All I have is you." I waited to see if he was finished before I took another breath.

"It seems we are on the same page because it looks like the only way I can get my mental health back in order is to get rid of you." I said.

"Are you telling me that you still think this is an illusion, that I am not here?" he was angry, well what did he expect? There are no such things as ghosts. "I'm right here, talking to you." He said, then before I could stop him his hand came up to touch my cheek. "I can feel you." He said.

Indeed, I could feel warmth from his fingers, I could feel the soft wind of his breath against my face, and I could even smell that particular brand of Axe body spray he used. Could it be that my imagination was that good? That my memory of him was that potent? He withdrew his hand and shoved it in his pocket and I could feel the tingle on my cheek at the absence of his warmth.

"Look. I guess it doesn't matter if you are real or not." I said. "I am going to help you. What's the first step?"

"Well, normally when someone becomes a ghost there is unfinished business so I was thinking we could find my killer. He got away right?" it was true, no one had tracked down the shooter yet but they were still searching. "I know who it was."

"Even if you do, do you have evidence?" I asked. "The police are not going to just take my word for it. They'll want to know how I know and I can't very well tell them I was contacted by a ghost…" it sounded ridiculous saying it out loud.

"I don't but we can search for some when we find him." He said.

"Alright, who was it?" it did bother me that he was out there still, hell he could snap again and kill someone else I knew. He could hurt Mokuba.

"It was Yoshi." He said and explained to me how he used to bully Yoshi a while ago. He told me about the day of the shooting, he remembered every detail of that time.

"Yoshi." I said. "That's going to be a problem. He transferred out of school the next day because he said that it was a very traumatic experience for him." I felt anger flare up in the pit of my stomach. Traumatic for him?

"Whoa, hey are you okay?" Jounouchi asked suddenly. "The vain in your forehead is getting big." He said and poked at my forehead. I yanked away and glared at him. "So where can we find him then?"

"I can try his house but if he is trying to get away with this then he's probably not there anymore." I said. "I'll find him." I vowed and walked over to my desk and sat in front of my computer. Jounouchi followed and stood behind me, peering over my shoulder as I worked.

I typed and searched for hours until I came up with an address and I printed out the location before turning back to Jounouchi. I paused seeing him sleeping on the couch across from my desk. Ghosts can sleep? I walked over to him and noticed him shivering. And get cold? I let out a sigh of annoyance and pulled off my white jacked before draping it over him. Good. I thought. Now I could find Yoshi and end this without Jounouchi getting in the way.

I left the room and bumped into Mokuba. "Hey bro." he said.

"I thought you were at the arcade with Yugi and the others." I said.

"I was but we all had homework to catch up on. It was fun, I'm glad you talked me into doing It." he said

"Well good." Was all I could say? "I'm glad you feel better."

"Um, who were you talking to in your office?" he asked suddenly. "I was going to bother you before but you were talking."

"I was on the phone." I lied; I couldn't even tell my brother I was talking to a ghost.

"That's funny because I have the phone right here. It wasn't on the hook. You know how you wonder around with it."

"I was on the speaker phone."

"Oh? I only heard your voice."

"What do you want?"

"Well, you went to the hospital and you seem sad, now you are talking to yourself." He said. "I was thinking that you could let me take over the company for a while and you can take a vacation."

"Vacation," I snorted, "I don't know the meaning of the word. Why waste time doing nothing when you can be productive."

"Yes, but if you don't take a break then you could make mistakes. I never saw you grieve over what happened at school."

"Why would I grieve? I didn't care about Jounouchi." He gave me a sly look and I knew it was because I used his name instead of a degrading nickname. "You don't speak ill of the dead." I said quickly.

"Maybe so, but it is still a part of your life that is missing, even if he did annoy you, he is something that's missing."

"Mokuba, you can't take over the company for a couple of years yet. You aren't of age."

"What about America?"

"You will get to run that, as I said but it will take time to set everything up. Also, the Americans are trying to play with me. This game is one I am very familiar with." I sighed. "I know that you are worried about me but I am fine."

"Well just take it easy then." Mokuba said, defeated.

"I will." I said and tousled his hair. He glared at me and fixed his hair. "I have something I need to check on I will be back later." I said.

"Okay." He said faintly as I walked away from him. I hated lying to my brother but I hated hurting him like this even more. Once Jounouchi was gone things would go back to normal. They had to.

I got into my car and drove clear of the grounds, toward the address I had written down. Yoshi would pay for what he did.

As I drove I began to think of what Mokuba said, about missing Jounouchi only because he is a part that's missing. He was a great outlet from my anger. My hands dug into the steering wheel at the thought of how annoying he could be sometimes. I let out a breath; it did seem quiet without him around (well before he showed up again, that is).

I pulled up a small house and parked before getting out. I checked the paper in my hand again to make sure I was at the right place. I was. I looked up at the door but something was wrong. As I approached the door I could see that it wasn't closed all the way. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The place was covered in dust and nothing had been picked up in weeks. I made a face of disgust.

"This place is worse than mine and my dad's place." Startled, I turned to find Jounouchi standing behind me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Duh, I want to catch Yoshi." He said.

"No, I mean, I thought you were asleep."

"I was. But right after you left Mokuba came into your office and yanked up your jacked, thanks for that by the way, and I woke up." He said "then I found the address and decided to follow you. You could have waked me."

"I wanted to do this without you distracting me."

"Jerk. Two heads are better than one."

"Well your head counts as negative one." I said quickly and he playfully punched me in the arm. I went to hit him back but thought against it. I was too scared to find out if he would feel me like I felt him.

"So find any clues yet?"

"I just walked in. stay here." I said but when I started walking he followed anyway. We walked into the adjacent room, the kitchen, but it was the same as the hall. Every room seemed to be unused for weeks. It was as I feared, Yoshi must have run away. There had to be a clue as to where he went somewhere."

So Jounouchi and I continued until the entire downstairs was searched. We headed upstairs and I felt something in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't be sure what it was exactly but it felt something like panic. I ignored it and continued until I reached the top of the steps. It was then that an awful smell surrounded me. I knew it instantly.

"What is that?" Jounouchi asked and gaged.

"Didn't you used to be in a gang?"

"Yes, why?"

"Never mind. Just stay here. I mean it."

"fine." He said. And I followed the smell to where it was most potent. I hesitated before opening the door and when I did I found what I was expecting. Yoshi's stiff lifeless body hung from the ceiling.


	10. 9 Jounouchi

*9* Jounouchi *9*

* * *

><p>I heard Kaiba curse so I decided to follow him to the last room. I stepped around him and noticed Yoshi's body. I could feel all hope leave my body and my shoulders became heavy. I would never find piece now. I would have to watch my friends suffer and eventually move on without me… which, I guess is what I wanted; I just didn't want to watch it happen. Maybe this is what happened to people who went to "hell".<p>

"This isn't over. We will simply find out what happened to Yoshi. We can still let everyone know he was the killer even if he's dead." Kaiba said. "If it is a suicide then he left a note confessing to his crime."

Was Kaiba trying to cheer me up? I looked at him for a moment and nodded. "I guess I don't need to give up just yet. I have plenty of time so I guess it doesn't matter how long it takes."

"I told you to stay where you were, by the way." He pointed out.

"Oh and I always do what you say?" I said and then I thought about it. He must have been trying to protect me from the sight of Yoshi. And that was probably why he asked if I was in a gang. It was true that I was in a gang but I was never a part of killing anyone.

"Let's just look for the note, this smell is too much." Kaiba said and stocked into the room. I watched him for a moment. He searched the room quickly and when he found nothing he started to look under things. I felt my pulse quicken when my eyes wondered down to his perfect ass. He wasn't bad to look at. "Are you going to help me, or what?" he asked, bringing me back to reality.

"I'm just not used to seeing you work." I said. "I'm surprised you are even touching anything in this room."

"I would have someone do it for me but I don't need the world finding out that I am talking to a ghost." He said. "Fuck, there's no note here." He said finally.

"Maybe he just didn't care." I said.

"No, that just doesn't fit." He said. "There has to be an explanation for this. Let's call the police and leave an anonymous tip. Let them get their reports together. I'll hack into the system and figure out what really happened."

"Don't you think that's a lot of work?" I asked.

"It has to be done that way. How will I explain coming here and finding the body of a classmate I didn't even know? It will be too much hassle. You said you have plenty of time. I am sure you can find something to entertain yourself while we wait."

"So you are just going to ditch me?" I glared at him.

"No, I told you I would help you and I will. I am a man of my word. We just have to be patient." He said. "Besides I have a busy calendar and this little day trip set me behind big time."

"And what exactly should I entertain myself with my friends being in pain over my death or my family replacing me?" I paused.

"What are you talking about?" Kaiba asked but I didn't answer, "Whatever. You can come to the office with me if you are good."

"I'll be good." I said, "Unless you invite those American douche bags."

"In business you have to deal with..."

"Douche Bags," I interrupted.

"Unsavory people to make progress." he said, ignoring my comment. "I don't have a meeting with them today anyway." he said. "Let's get out of here."

We left Yoshi's and got into the car and headed back into the city toward Kaiba Corp. Kaiba was a quiet driver but he was calculating in every action he took. No wonder he was grouchy most of the time. His brain probably never let him have a break. Yugi and Mokuba's plan to throw him a party might actually be a good idea. Maybe there was some way I could help make it happen or at least get him to show up.

We reached the ginormous office building in no time and Kaiba parked in his executive spot and we both walked into the building.

"Good Morning, Mr. Kaiba," said a cute secretary at the front gate. "Your brother has been waiting for you in your office."

"Mokuba? What does he want?"

"I didn't ask." she admitted but Kaiba only nodded at her and took a folder from her when she handed it to him."

"What's all that stuff," I asked Kaiba gave me a look but basically ignored me. Right. I was a ghost and if he answered me people would think he was crazy. We walked to the elevator and when it closed he looked at me.

"What did you mean about your family replacing you?" he asked suddenly. I was a little shocked but I just shrugged I didn't feel like getting into it. "In any case no one could replace you." He said and the door opened. I watched him walk midway down the hall before I followed him. Was he really trying to be nice?

"Hey, big brother." Mokuba said as Seto opened the door to his office. "Where have you been?" he asked.

"I had a few errands to run. Since when do you care and why aren't you in school?" Seto asked and while they spoke a move around them to sit on the couch he had in the office.

"I was worried about you. I am worried about you." Mokuba said.

"There isn't anything for you to be worried about, I told you that before." He sighed, "And I don't want to talk about this now."

"Why not? You have time."

"I do not."

"Yes you do, I saw your schedule." Mokuba pointed to the folder in Seto's hand. "You have a meeting in an hour so you have time now to talk about Jounouchi."

"Talk about me? What does he mean?" Seto's face twitched and I could tell he was trying not to look at me.

"There's nothing to talk about. I don't miss that mutt. I am fine. Life goes on." He said and it stung a bit. What did I expect? He wasn't helping me because I needed it. He was helping me because it would get rid of me.

"You are such a bad liar." Mokuba said. "Just admit that you miss him and I will leave you alone."

"I'm not going to admit to a thing. I don't care. I have more important things to think about like getting you ready to run the company in America and finalizing the deal with the Americans."

"You are going to get me ready? How? You said I was too young."

"You are but if I can get you ready perhaps there might be a work-around." He paused. "Actually, maybe it would be a good idea for you to go the next meeting with the Americans."

"Really?" Mokuba smirked, "I know I can handle it." he smiled, "I'll go back to school then we can talk more about this." He hugged Kaiba, "I won't let you down." He said and ran down the hall to catch the elevator.

"Nice trick. You won't get rid of me that easily though." I said when Kaiba closed the door and we were alone.

"Trust me, I know." He said and sat at his desk. "You need to be quiet now."

"Wow, this is so boring." I said after about five minutes. "Can I watch TV?"

"No. that's too distracting and if you don't like it you can always leave." He said.

"Then you would miss me." I smirked. "Mokuba's right. I think you miss me a little bit. I mean now you don't have a rival."

"Rival? You?" he laughed. "To be my rival you have to be equal to me in power. And that will never happen…" he paused.

"You're right because I'm dead. And that's my point, well Mokuba's point. I will never get that chance and you will never get the chance to see it. You have to admit that every time you would face me I would get better."

"Shut up." Seto said pushing up from his desk. "You don't know a damn thing."

"Then why are you getting so angry?"

"As soon as we send you to wherever you are going then we will be even and I can move on." He said. "This was a mistake, you should go. I'll see you when I get off work." He said and grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the door. "Get out."

"Fine, damn." I pulled the door open and he shoved me out. My arm was warm where he grabbed me but froze again the second he let go. The door slammed behind me and I sighed at his mood swings. I rolled my eyes and headed to the elevator but when I got there I couldn't push the buttons. Damn! I looked at the emergency stairs and sighed one-hundred and ten stories to the bottom.

* * *

><p>When I finally made it to the lobby my body was almost completely invisible to me. That decent took up most of my energy. I scanned the Lobby for a place to rest but was distracted when I noticed a car just outside the building. But the car wasn't what was bothering me. It was the man behind the wheel; it was one of the Americans. He was up to something so I stalked across the lobby and out the door but when I reached the car I had completely used up my energy. I could feel myself fading and there wasn't anything I could do about it. And everything faded into black.<p> 


	11. 10 Seto

***10* Seto *10***

* * *

><p>After getting rid of the mutt I didn't feel any better since his words hit so close to home. The thing about that dog was that he could be so in tuned to how people really were. Not like I would admit any of that to anyone. I looked at the door and wondered if I should have let him stay. He was getting on my nerves though. I turned back to my computer in an attempt to get him out of my mind. I never would have cared about kicking him out before.<p>

I tried to finish my work but all I could think about was his broken face when he saw Yoshi hanging there. "Well, it serves him right for following me when I told him not to." I ran a hand through my hair; I couldn't get that look out of my mind. I saved my work and decided to call it a day. I shut down my computer and grabbed my coat.

As I exited the elevator I was greeted by Roland, who was there to inform me that two suspicious people had been spotted outside the building. I thanked him for the information and carefully made my way out to the door. I looked around but there didn't seem to be anyone looking too interested in me. Still, I was careful as I made my way to my car.

I opened the door and sank into the seat before pulling the door closed. I fumbled around with the keys and glared when they fell out of my hands, landing on the passenger's side floor. As bent down to pick up the keys I could hear a faint beep coming from the ground.

I got out of the car and looked beneath it to find a small car bomb. "Shit." I backed away from the car and pulled out my cell phone to call Roland but the radio waves from my phone must have set the bomb off because the next thing I knew there was a huge flash and my hearing gave out along with my consciousness.

When I woke up my ears were still ringing and my throat felt dry. I could feel small burns and pains on my skin as my wounds woke with me. I winced at the flash of pain running through my body but I didn't have time to worry about that yet. I looked around to find that I was tied to a chair in the middle of a warehouse.

"Have a nice nap, Mr. Kaiba?" I knew that voice. It was one of the Americans. "I must admit that I am surprised you were smart enough to get out of that car when you did. My bomb maker isn't very good, to think that anyone using a cell phone in that area could have been blown to smithereens."

"What do you think you are doing? Let me go." I said, "You think I am going to give you the contract if you threaten me?"

"Contract? We don't care about that." He said and leaning in closer. "If we wanted the contract then what would be the point of killing you? For a genius you aren't too smart."

"You bastard!" the next instant I was met with the back of his boney hand, my face now felt as if it were on fire but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of making me scream.

"Listen, I am going to share my master plan with you." The American smirked, "you see, our government has become sloppy and no longer cares about the needs of the people. And I had an idea; I should take America back for the people. How do I do that? Well, I need an army and several weapons that America has never seen."

"You…" Militia? People who wanted to overthrow the government. He needs weapons… that means…

"I can tell by the look in your eyes that you know the next part of the plan. Yes, your father had interesting weapons and plans for developing never before seen weapons. We are here to get everything."

"I destroyed everything."

"Oh, come now, we both know that's not true. You are a man of science, you wouldn't do that. Lock them away? Yes. But destroy? I don't think so."

"I won't help you." I said.

"You will, dead or alive. You see while you were busy doing god knows what we discovered your little hiding place and the key we need is right here." The man said and pointed to my right hand. "Now I could just kill you and cut off your hand or you can join me. We could use someone of your intelligence on our team, also it would be a big help if you could help us bring your father's plans to life."

"I won't help you." I said, "I'll die before I help you."

"Ah, I will give you some time to think about it." The American said before leaving.

There was no way I would help them. My stepfather's goals were something I never intended to help with. I didn't want Kaiba Corps to be known for war. I sat back trying to remain calm and figure out a way out of the chair. Suddenly I noticed a mop of yellow hair from the corner of my eye. The mutt was here.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him being careful to hide the pain I was feeling. "How did you know to find me here?"

"I noticed those guys outside your office but then I lost energy and disappeared. As soon as I rejuvenated at my memorial I came back as fast as I could but when I got there I saw your car. "Jounouchi's eyes peered into mine and his gaze looked me over. "You are lucky you made it out." Jounouchi finally sighed. "Anyway, a couple of guys were talking about you so I overheard that they had you here."

"I see." I said, "Hurry, they are going to come back." I sighed, "now that I know _they_ tried to kill me they are done."

"Don't you need that contract? America will be a big leap for you."

"I don't need to make deals with them. I can find someone else..." I said, not wanting to let him know how I was fooled. I grimaced when the mutt cut my hands free. I rubbed my wrists and stood up but I had been sitting in that chair for so long that I lost balance, how undignified… Then I felt strong arms around my waist.

"Careful." Jounouchi said, his breath tickling my ear, I tried to pull away but he held me tighter. "Just let me help you, damn." He was stubborn and I wanted to get out of there so I wrapped an arm around his neck and let him walk me out of the building. It still boggled my mind that he was able to hold me this way, he felt as alive as I was. I looked away, that's right, he was dead.

"You are being awfully quiet." He said but did he have to fill the silence? It just made things more awkward. I pulled away from him when we reached the door.

"Let's just keep going." I said and just as we were about to walk out I heard footsteps all around us and men yelling in front of us. "Shit." I grabbed Jounouchi by the collar and yanked him behind a couple of huge crates. "No doubt they will shoot us on sight… uh, me, shoot me on sight. They have no reason to keep me alive."

"You didn't have to pull me in here with you, I am already dead. Maybe I can take out a few of them."

"With what?" I asked, was he stupid? What am I saying; of course… it was the mutt after all. "You are a ghost, how will you do that?"

"Well I have noticed that I am more alive when I am near you." He said and suddenly my heart skipped a beat. I ignored it and watched him as he grabbed a lead pipe from the rubble behind us. "See. I guess you give me strength." He said. Ugh, why was everything he said making me feel things…

"Okay, what about you, if you exert yourself too much you'll fade away, I'll be alone again." He looked at me suddenly.

"I won't let that happen. I will stay by your side until you are safe." He grabbed my hand and I flinched, I wanted him to stop touching me, I didn't want to think he was alive… he was dead! I tried to pull my hand free but in the next instant I noticed that he had curled his pinkie around mine. "Promise."

"Child…" I glared and yanked my hand back though deep down I was glad to have such a promise. Not that I was scared or that I couldn't handle any of this alone, of course. It was still nice.

"Find him!" Shouted a man and Jounouchi drew the pipe back but I grabbed his elbow and pulled him back toward me.

"Don't just charge in there." I warned.

"They can't see me." Jounouchi reminded me.

"Still, use your head."

"That implies you think I have one." He smiled and added, "it's progress."

"Shut up." I let him go and carefully peeked around the crate, there were three shadows on the ground, and three men were headed toward us. I pointed to the shadows and followed Jounouchi carefully as he headed toward the closest guy. I didn't know how far we could be away from each other before Jounouchi lost the power to hold tangible things.

I stayed behind a bench and watched as Jounouchi stalked over to the first man and lifted the pipe. The sound of metal meeting skull rang out followed by a loud dropping noise. The man had fallen and Jounouchi grinned at me with that big dumb smile of his.

I walked over to him slowly and punched him in the arm, "don't celebrate." I said and patted down the unconscious man and grabbed his gun. "We have to keep moving." I whispered and ducked behind a table and pulled the gun up and aimed at the second guy.

"You sure you want to do that?" Jounouchi asked me.

"He's trying to kill me; I won't just stand around and have a moral dilemma about it. I do that and I could die. You can't reason with a killer." I said and suddenly Jounouchi's face dropped. "What?" I paused, "Yoshi… is that… you tried to talk to him… Damn it, how could you be so stupid?" before I could stop myself the words were out of my mouth.

"…you are right…"

"No. I…m sorry." I said quietly. Though it wasn't perfectly spoken I was sorry and it was one of the few times I actually meant it. "Look, we don't have time for this. We have to get out of here first." I took aim once more and shot the second man in the leg, waited for the third man to go to his aide. When the third man arrived I shot in the air above them sending a hanging crate down on top of them.

"Bad ass." I heard Jounouchi say, I guess he was fine again. I quickly made my way out of that room and peered around the corner through an open door that lead outside. There were no men there but I could hear guys coming from behind us. In front of us was a boat dock but there were no boats. We'd have to swim. I sprinted out the door and yanked it closed behind us. I tossed the gun into the water and dove in.

I began swimming as fast as I could but when the door behind us burst open a shower of bullets came down around me. I dove under the surface and tried to swim away but I was too slow and a bullet lodged itself into my leg. I was torn between my need to scream and my need to hold my breath. I couldn't stop. I had to keep going. And the last thing I could remember was swimming until everything was dark.


	12. 11 Jounouchi

***11* Jounouchi *11***

* * *

><p>After Kaiba was shot in the leg he wasn't looking too good. He swam for a good mile before the pain consumed him and he passed out. Luckily I am solid when he is around so it was easy for me to grab hold of him. As my arms wrapped around him I was taken aback by how thin yet muscular he was. But then again, it was no surprise since he did just swim a mile with a bullet in his leg.<p>

I dragged him out of the water when we were a safe distance away. I knew this district very well from my gang days, and I had no choice, so I brought Kaiba to one of my old hideouts. I managed to sling his arm over my shoulder and drag him to safety. I helped him to a couch in the corner. I placed him on the couch and started looking at his wound. The blood was still pouring out fast and the bullet hadn't gone through.

I looked around the small hideout and smiled, luckily this was one we went to when we needed to get patched up after a police raid. We were lucky because after the gang disbanded the cops set out to find every last hideout. I guess they didn't find this one. I left Kaiba's side and hurried to get a medical kit. I found one and returned to him. I had never killed anyone, that was true, but I did help my fellow gang members with bullet wounds before.

I took the scissors from the kit and cut open the bottom of Kaiba's slacks before rolling them up. I looked at his pale face. I was hard to look at his face in this weakened state because it was so unlike what I was used to seeing from this man. I looked away and focused on getting the bullet out of his leg. It took some time but I finally removed the bullet and Kaiba let out a scream of pain.

I looked at him for a second but this time his face was filled with relief. Good. I bandaged him up tightly and was going to cover him with old blanket before I noticed his blue lips. I had to get him out of those wet clothes. I left him again to search the rooms we used to stay in but no one had left any clothes behind.

I glanced down at what I was wearing, my favorite hoodie, I wondered. I started to tug at my hoodie and it came off. I smiled. Awesome. It wasn't much but it would have to do until his clothes dried. I headed back to him and hovered over his form. His face was at piece now that the bleeding had stopped.

I lightly traced my fingers over his eyebrows and over his cheeks. His mouth opened slightly and before I knew it my fingers were tracing his soft lips. I swallowed hard. What was I doing? I pulled my hand away and carefully pulled off his wet shirt. The smell of him surrounded me when I pulled his shirt over his head.

I tried to ignore it but it was a cool and refreshing scent, like the ocean at night. I shook off my weird feelings and ignored his toned chest as I pulled my hoodie over his head. The back of my fingers brushed over his soft chest and I looked at his perfect face again.

"Get it together, this is Seto Kaiba." I said to myself and once Kaiba was out of his wet clothes I got up to hang them to dry.

I watched him sleep for several hours, wearing my hoodie and wrapped up in a blanket he looked innocent and helpless. I knew Kaiba better than that and he was anything but. But that got me thinking, had Kaiba ever had the chance to be innocent? Maybe there was more to him than met the eye.

I sat back and pondered that for a moment until Kaiba opened his eyes and groaned softly for coffee.

"Fresh out of coffee." I said and Seto sat up with a start. "Whoa, calm down."

"What's going on? Where are we? What did you do with my clothes?"

"You forgot the when and why." I teased, "Anyway, relax. You were shot so I brought you to an old hideout of mine and got the bullet out of you. Your clothes are drying; if you would have stayed in them then you could have gotten sick."

"Wh… oh, right." Seto said, "Uh, thanks…"

"I'm sorry, what?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"I'm not saying it again."

"Okay then could you at least admit that I am real? After all if I wasn't then how did you get here? No one knows about this place."

"Fine." He said. "I suppose it isn't outside the range of possibilities that you could be real."

"Eh, I'll take it." I said.

"So, if my clothes are done then we need to leave."

"I don't think so." I said. "You are not leaving in that condition. You'll stay here and rest. I will get us food and I will get you fresh clothes."

"How will you do that if I stay here?" he asked. "You can't touch anything if I am too far from you. Don't think I haven't noticed that."

"You're right." My shoulders slumped.

"You really are an idiot." He said but it didn't make me mad, no, it felt playful. "I will have Roland bring us a few things."

"You can't do that. You don't know who you can trust."

"Roland would give his life for me."

"Maybe so but if someone is watching him then we don't know. As far as they know you could be dead. We need to lie low until we can figure out what's going on."

"I know what's going on." He said. "They want to find my stepfather's old creations and use them to attack the American government."

"Heavy." I said.

"Yeah… oh no. Mokuba!" he said suddenly, "what will happen to him?"

"I can go check on him for you." I offered, I couldn't pick up things but I could watch people. But then how could I protect Mokuba if something was wrong?

"Why would you do that?"

"What?" I asked. "I'll do anything for my friends." I said.

"Mokuba is your friend, that's true."

"No." I paused, "Well, yes, he is but so are you." I said and before he could say anything else I was at the door. "I'll be back soon. If I am not then I probably lost energy so I'll be back tomorrow. Don't leave." I said and left.

I hurried through the door, my face was red and my heart was pounding more than it ever had when I was alive. I was shaken from my thoughts when Kaiba's shirt, which was hanging on a fence post to dry, flew away. It was the only shirt he had. I ran after it and when I grabbed it I noticed a newspaper stuck to it. I pulled the paper off and paused.

I looked back toward where I left Kaiba, I was well out of the range where I could touch things and yet here I was, holding a newspaper. I looked at Kaiba's shirt in my other hand and smiled before I pulled it on. I headed out to find Mokuba and now I could protect him if I had to.

* * *

><p>I returned to the hideout a few hours later, I didn't feel weak at all and I think it was partly because of Kaiba's shirt. I opened the door and found Kaiba on the couch reading a comic book. "What are you doing?"<p>

"This garbage is hardly entertaining." He said.

"Is that why you are on volume seven?" I teased and crossed the room to place the groceries and clothes on the table next to him.

"How do you have those things?" Kaiba asked

"Magic." I said. "It seems that your shirt gave me enough power to carry things."

"Did you find Mokuba? Is he okay?" Kaiba asked

"He's fine. After you went missing Roland arranged for Mokuba to "study abroad"." I said.

"Oh, good. It was a safety measure I put in place in case something happened to me. It's weird that he acted so fast though."

"Not really. I was listening in on him and he said that something was up because he knows you so well."

"I told you he has my back."

"I know, but you can't be too careful. What these guys want is World War Three shit." I said. "We have to stop them."

"I know that, first of all, the Kaiba name will be hurt if this happens. I don't want my company to kill or hurt anyone ever again." He said and I thrust an instant lunch at him. "What is this?"

"It's good." I said and pulled the clear wrapper off of mine before stuffing my face. "Being with you makes me hungry." I glanced up at him and he was eyeing his lunch like it was foreign. "What are you doing?" I asked

"I can't eat this." He said. "What's in it?"

"You really are a drama queen." I said. "It might not be what you are used to but it's good. Try it." I said. "And anyway it's all we've got."

I watched as Kaiba finally pulled the plastic off of his instant lunch. He picked up his chopsticks and sighed before taking a bite. I smiled at the small twitch to Kaiba's features. He must have been hungry because he started stuffing is face.

"I suppose, for common food, it is passable." He said and continued eating. "What is it about me that gives you the ability to be tangible?" he asked suddenly.

"I have no idea. It doesn't make any sense to me but you play the hand you are dealt." I shrugged and cleaned up a bit after I finished eating.

"Well, I won't be able to help with the Yoshi thing until I can get back into my office," he said, "I need to figure out how to deal with the Americans."

"We'll do that first then. It's not like I don't have time." I said. To be honest I was enjoying my time with rich boy. It was starting to make me feel sad to know that I would have to say goodbye to him.

"True. Besides, you being a ghost might come in handy." He sat back, sinking into the couch. I watched him for a moment and moved to knell in front of him, he looked at me with questioning eyes and I reached for the covers. I pushed the covers up a bit to reveal his leg.

"How is your leg?" I asked

"I won't be running any marathons anytime soon but it feels alright." he said and took a sharp breath when I started to undo his bandages.

"I'll change the bandages then." I said.

"You did that pretty well by the way." He said softly

"Yeah, I was always better at patching up my gang than I was at putting bullets in the rival gang."

After I had changed his bandages I persuaded him to take a few painkillers and waited for him to fall asleep before trying to leave the room. As I stood up I felt a hand grab my wrist. "Don't leave me." I looked back at Kaiba and froze but he was fast asleep. "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave." I said and sat down next to him.


End file.
